There Are 7 Things Hearing Aids Can Now do That Will Surprise You

Things have changed since your great, great grandpa held an ear trumpet up to his ear. Even 10 years ago, hearing aids weren’t able to do the things they can do now. The advancement of hearing aid tech permits users to participate in activities that were unlikely at one point. Hearing aids can now do the following things.

1. Stay Put Even When You are Moving

Jogging or riding a bike with a hearing aid in would have been unheard of in the past. When you are physically active, hearing aids can fall out even high quality ones. Now it’s possible to keep your hearing aids in while working out whether you are a novice or an athlete.

The evolution here is not in the technology, though. Hearing aids that fall out can still become damaged or lost. The simple idea of a hearing aid retention cord wins the day. Think of it as a lanyard for your hearing aids. They clip to your clothes and slide on to the hearing aid as a safety measure. Hearing aid retention cords area smart option for kids, too.

2. Resist Water

While it is true many hearing aids are water resistant, they still won’t do well when fully immersed. Waterproof hearing aids and a couple of accessories will be required if you want to swim with your hearing aid.
Start with a raincoat for your hearing aids. Your device is shielded by waterproof sleeves that fit securely over them while still allowing you to hear. The majority of the sleeves come with cords that attach to your clothing too, so you won’t lose the hearing aids while enjoying some summer activities.

The second thing you might want to get is a dehumidifier for your hearing aids. Some water will get into the case regardless of what you do. The device gets dried out by the dehumidifier without causing damage to the fragile components.

3. Pair With Your Smartphone

Now when your phone rings you don’t need to take your hearing aids out. Not all hearing aid brands have this feature, though. Wireless streaming capability and Bluetooth enabling are features you will want to think about when buying new hearing aids. This technology allows them to pair with your phone just like Bluetooth earbuds or headphones do.

Want to stream a movie? This is another situation where wireless functionality come in handy. With Bluetooth or wireless, the hearing aids can pick up sound from your TV or MP3 player.

Also, for cell phones or landlines, these hearing aids have a phone function. Signals from your phone can be heard in your hearing aid thanks to a telecoil.

4. Learn

That’s correct, hearing aids have machine learning features. Some devices will make volume adjustments depending on the environment by remembering your preference and you don’t have to do anything.

You can also just push a button and load a specific setup stored in one of the multiple programs.

5. Make the Ringing Go Away

Hearing loss and tinnitus go hand in hand for lots of people. Hearing aids that come with tinnitus maskers or sound generators will play a low-level sound in the background that masks the ringing, so you hear sounds better. The masking noise cancels out the tinnitus, and that ringing stops. Not all brands include this tinnitus masking technology. If you are shopping for hearing aids, and need this feature, you will have to ask for it.

6. Store Data

Data logging is one of the newer functions in hearing aid technology but a powerful one. The devices log things such as when you use the hearing aids, times you make volume changes and what background sounds you encounter.

Essential adjustments can be made when your audiologist or hearing aid retailer a*/ccess this data improving sound quality.

7. Go Remote

You can quickly adjust the volume, change the program, or use your hearing aid as a Bluetooth streaming device if it comes with a remote.

All of these functions allow you to do things that weren’t possible years ago even though they aren’t all brand new. Hearing aid tech is always progressing, too. Be certain to check out the latest features when you go shopping for a new hearing aid. To see them all, schedule an appointment with a hearing professional right away.